Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 14:16:34 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: trip out west
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"; reply-type=original
that's right.
I seldom find a bad heater valve.
like 'never'.
it's the cables, and it's a dumb design, but we can compensate for that and
make it work just fine.
It won't quite to 100 % off and 100 % full heat,
but it'll do 110 % full off, and 90 % valve full open .
the temp lever ( # 2 from the top ) moves a cable,
that moves the lever on the end of the plastic heater valve.
You can see it up in there if you drop the spare tire.
really, I do this service to a dozen vanagons a year .
they all need it.
removing the instrument cluster ....
well anything is strange or challenging the first time or two you do it .
but otherwise..
vanagons have the nicest to work on instrument cluster in the world !~
pop off the cover.
unplug the brake warning light switch plug on the left.
unclip the 4 way flasher switch and heated rear window switch on the right.,
I get those off by putting my long Phillips behind a clip and pry, then
twist out the switch.
and there is T14 , the main wire plug on the bottom, right side.
and the speedo cable ( press to release clip )
and 4 screws that old it down.
be gentle with the instrument cluster plastic ....it breaks very easily.
typically a hold-down screw tab or two are broken,
and also where the speedometer is screwed into the plastic housing.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Mcneely" <mcneely4@COX.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 1:54 PM
Subject: Re: trip out west
> So Scott, you are telling us that replacing the OEM valve will do no good,
> that it is the cable that needs attention.
>
> Being new to this beast, I had no idea that maintenance of this type was
> necessary. On most automotive heaters, the lever on the dash directly
> controls the heater coolant valve, no cables involved. I'll take another
> look, boy it's tight in there. Have to remove the instrument cluster,
> huh? May be getting into more than I want to tack myself. Do I really
> need to remove the cluster, or just the cover? Thanks, DMc
>
> ---- Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:
>> just about every vanagon I see needs this simple adjustment/repair on the
>> heater control cable.
>>
>> why it screws up -
>> it's a dumb design basically ..
>> when you increase temp , ( Moving temp lever right ) you are pulling the
>> inner cable out of the outer one.
>> When you move the lever left, you are pushing the inner cable back into
>> the
>> outer one.
>> The arrangement is such that there's almost an inch and a half of inner
>> cable that needs to be bushed back into the outer cable from the full
>> 'hot'
>> position.
>>
>> that cable is either going to slide back into the outer cable, or it's
>> not
>> going to, in which case it kinks.
>> Then your heater valve is always stuck on a little.
>> If that cable would get spray lubed once a year, or once every 5 years
>> even, it might not happen.
>> The geometry of the lever and cable doesn't help either quite.
>>
>> the repair is remove instrument cluster and ash tray ..
>> and carefully straighten out the bent temp control cable with a needle
>> nose
>> pliers ..
>> and spray lube the cable and levers generously.
>>
>> for the deluxe repair ..
>> undo the 7mm screw that holds the cable in the bracket there ..
>> and unhook the cable from the lever ..
>> lift the cable up so you can gravity feed a high quality spray lube down
>> into the cable...
>> then straighten the bent part, run the cable in and out a buncha times
>> until
>> it's really smooth.
>> but it all back together and adjust.
>> that'll fix it.
>>
>> Remember, it is always wrong to service, lube, or adjust anything on the
>> entire van before it ceases to work at all.
>>
>> Scott
>> www.turbovans.com
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jake de Villiers" <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 11:28 AM
>> Subject: Re: trip out west
>>
>>
>> > Dave, just replace the OEM heater valve or have it replaced.
>> >
>> > End of problem...
>> >
>> > Jake
>> >
>> > On Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 10:40 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>> >
>> >> I appreciate all the responses concerning the heater. It is somewhat
>> >> of
>> >> an
>> >> ordeal to drive in the heat of the SW with the heater running.
>> >> Closing
>> >> the
>> >> vents doesn't keep absolutely all the hot air out.
>> >>
>> >> So, I took out the cover below the heater controls and in front of the
>> >> shifter. Lots of wires, pipes, and presumably cables running through
>> >> there,
>> >> along with heater hoses. Good access point, thanks for the tip. Now,
>> >> I
>> >> can't tell which conduits in there are cables. No cables are visible,
>> >> everything is inside conduits of some sort. Most of the things are
>> >> electrical wires, some look like they convey fluids (two small metal
>> >> pipes
>> >> that might be brake fluid related?) in addition to the coolant hoses.
>> >> I
>> >> can
>> >> barely see the slider that controls the coolant valve for the heater,
>> >> and
>> >> when I operate it, I can't see anything move except the slider itself.
>> >> I
>> >> cannot see what it is connected to. I squeezed each conduit that I
>> >> could
>> >> squeeze with my fingers while operating the slider, and could find
>> >> nothing
>> >> that moved that way, either.
>> >>
>> >> Could it be that a kink in the cable is unlikely, that in my model
>> >> ('91)
>> >> VW
>> >> had fixed that problem by putting the cable inside conduit so that it
>> >> would
>> >> run smoothly? Which is more likely, that the cable is broken, or that
>> >> the
>> >> valve is bad. I am not contortionist enough to reach where the cable
>> >> would
>> >> connect to the slider and reattach it if it is broken there.
>> >>
>> >> So, what that is in there is or contains the cable to the heater
>> >> valve?
>> >>
>> >> I did see that this would be a good access point to put clamps on the
>> >> hoses
>> >> so that the coolant would be shut off, or to put in an auxiliary
>> >> valve.
>> >> The
>> >> problem with the auxiliary valve installation is that one would have
>> >> to
>> >> get
>> >> down in there to turn the heater on or off. In this climate, one does
>> >> not
>> >> always want heat even in winter (or at least I don't, since I am
>> >> almost
>> >> always embarked on some outdoor sort of activity and dressed
>> >> appropriately
>> >> when I drive the van in winter). But I suppose in winter one could
>> >> leave
>> >> the heater on, and just use the vent control to keep the hot air from
>> >> flowing in -- that wouldn't be the same problem it is when the outside
>> >> temperature is 100 F +, and ANY warm air intruding is problematic.
>> >>
>> >> Thanks, David
>> >>
>> >> ---- george jannini <georgejoann@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> >> > Re, heat control...
>> >> >
>> >> > >> It now won't turn off, so we had to shut the heater vents for
>> >> > the
>> >> > entire trip home. Any simple fixes? No, of course not. The valve
>> >> > is
>> >> > stuck open, and can only be gotten to by removing the dash. I
>> >> > probably won't tackle this job myself, and so will pay considerably
>> >> > for it. <<
>> >> >
>> >> > This is pretty easy to diagnose by yourself.
>> >> >
>> >> > You might have a kinked cable, happened to me way back when, and
>> >> > is
>> >> > fairly easy to access by yourself from underneath the dash. Remove
>> >> > the cover that's in front of the shifter (fingers into the
>> >> > grilles...pull) for access.
>> >> >
>> >> > The heater valve itself is underneath the bus- drop the spare tire
>> >> > and it's easy to spot. Make sure it's closed all the way. If it is
>> >> > and you still have heat, and assuming the cable's adjusted properly
>> >> > and not kinked it'll need to be replaced.
>> >> >
>> >> > Geo/ATL
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> David McNeely
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Jake
>> >
>> > 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
>> > 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>> >
>> > Crescent Beach, BC
>> >
>> > www.thebassspa.com
>> > www.crescentbeachguitar.com
>> > http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>
> --
> David McNeely
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